Chapter 283: Marital Asset

Sven swerved and stopped the car before Cecilia. "Get in."

Without hesitation, Cecilia climbed in.

"There will be trouble," Sven said. Nathaniel, having noticed Sven a few days earlier, had dispatched his men to investigate. They learned Sven was Calvin's bodyguard, assigned to Cecilia. Nathaniel was disturbed to discover Sven had followed Cecilia to Tudela.

"Are they living together?" Nathaniel asked. He recalled the bodyguard's unusual appearance—delicate features and strong eyes, unlike the typical bodyguard.

"The woman stayed at Vivian's house; the man slept in his car," Nathaniel's man replied.

Nathaniel's furrowed brows relaxed. "Understood. Keep watching her."

"Roger that."

Their impending divorce remained a secret, unknown to the outside world. No insider dared leak the story; it concerned Nathaniel and the entire Rainsworth Group.

Two days before the divorce hearing, an article titled "Daughter-in-Law of Prominent Family Fakes Death and Files for Divorce, Billions in Assets Potentially Split" trended online. The article identified the daughter-in-law as a member of the Smith family, clearly referencing the Rainsworths, Tudela's most prominent family. A photo of Cecilia accompanied the piece. The news reported that Cecilia, after facing criticism and illness within her husband's family, had faked her death and fled, only to return and file for divorce.

After recovering from her illness, she returned to seek a divorce and a division of their substantial marital assets.

The article's release sent Rainsworth Group stocks plummeting and ignited a firestorm online. Comments flooded in:

"I always thought Nathaniel and Stella were together! I didn't realize he had a wife!"

"Didn't you guys know his wife is disabled?"

"What a jerk!"

"She's no better! She's done nothing and wants his money!"

Vivian was shocked. "Which irresponsible outlet exposed this? Aren't they afraid of Nathaniel's wrath?" She decided not to show Cecilia the article. "Ceci, the most crucial thing is to remain calm," she said. "All you want is a divorce."

Cecilia understood Vivian's advice, but how could she find peace with her pain laid bare for public judgment? The headlines were everywhere—Elena learned of the impending divorce that way. That evening, she took Cecilia to dinner.

"I saw the news," Elena said. "Are you really divorcing Nathaniel?"

"Yes," Cecilia confirmed.

"Why make this public? Couldn't you handle this privately?" Elena's anger simmered. "This will affect Nathaniel differently. He leads the Rainsworth Group. He's not just any man."

"If he's willing to settle privately, I won't proceed with the lawsuit."

Elena's demeanor shifted. Unexpectedly, she took Cecilia's hand. "Drop the lawsuit. I won't interfere with your future. I'll welcome you back to our family."

Seeing Cecilia's unwavering resolve, Elena clenched her fists. "Cecilia, Nathaniel built Rainsworth Group from the ground up. Divorce him, but you won't get a share!"

Cecilia then understood Elena's drastic change in attitude: fear of dividing their marital assets.